Belize beach / Jungle trip ideas?
 

Just starting to think of a winter trip to Belize. 4 people in our late 60's, we like ruins, fishing, snorkeling, jungle tours and relaxing. We're all in good shape but our zip line days are in the past. Having never been to Belize we are looking for recommendation of how to combine a jungle / beach vacation. Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks!

For jungle, we've done both Lamanai Outpost Lodge and Chaa Creek - really loved both. For beach, we love Ambergris - stay at the Victoria House hotel. Don't miss snorkeling at Hol Chan - it's some of the best we've ever done. Some people also like Caye Caulker, a little slower pace than Ambergris. For ruins, you can go over to Tikal in Guatemala; we did it as a day trip with PACZ tours and thought they were great.

Two ways to do both. Either split between mainland and beach or one location based on a coastal beach area with easy access to mainland day trips, so either Hopkins or Placencia. I would say the more impressive mainland attractions are best accessed by staying inland, closes to which appeals to you most

How many nights do you have and what's your budget? Are you esp interested in major Maya sites or would lesser sites and more off the beaten track appeal? Do you like cottagey places, condo types, or resorts? With more info we could help with more specifics.

We've been to Belize 3 times and have always split our stays between multiple inland and beach locations. Lamanai Outpost Lodge is excellent and right next to the archaeological site. Plenty of beach options from mainland to cayes and atolls. Do you prefer more seclusion or would you like to be near more activity?

We did Lamanai for the jungle (RIGHT next to the ruins) and Tranquility Bay Resort on Ambergris for the beach. Can't recommend either highly enough. For fishing, TBR can't be beat - spend some time with Pani and you will never forget it. Fantastic snorkeling right off the beach, and Hol Chan an easy boat ride. Easy flight from Lamanai to Ambergris. Have fun, I'm jealous

Most of Belize's best ruins are in the Maya Mountain range, on the western side of the country. Belize's tiny size makes your itinerary still doable - it only takes around 3.5 hours to drive from one side of the country to the other. For my money Xunantunich is the most worthwhile ruin. It's a fairly large site and has a museum. If you visit Xunantunich you can stay in the nearby town of San Ignacio, also a convenient spot to stay for exploring nearby wildlife reserves.

http://www.anywherebelize.com/attrac...te/xunantunich

Ambergris Caye is the most popular place to stay for snorkeling and scuba diving trips. But if you'd rather stay on the mainland, check out the beaches in Placencia Peninsula on the Caribbean Coast. Maya Beach is in this area, and it's easily one of Belize's loveliest beaches. You can snorkel here as well.

http://www.anywherebelize.com/destinations/maya-beach

Regarding the Placencia Peninsula, see the report I posted last spring on this forum. Double check that issue of snorkeling. ZZ